How to watch the vice presidential debate: network, live stream, moderators
The vice presidential debate is less than a week away. Here’s what you need to know about the candidates, moderators, and issues that are likley to be covered.
Though a second debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former Presidnet Donald Trump has not been scheduled, their vice presidential picks, Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Republican Senator J.D. Vance, will face off early next week.
As both camps prepare, CBS News, which will host the debate, reported that the Democrats have picked Transporation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to stand in as Senator Vance during prep, while Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer is taking on the role of Governor Walz on the GOP side.
The tone of the debate
As one of the final chances to speak directly to voters, the candidates must avoid the debate deteriorating into a mudslinging contest. The two have been trading jabs on the campaign trail, with Senator Vance claiming that the Minnesota Governor misrepresented his military service and Governor Walz continuing to call out GOP leaders as “weird,” divisive, and out of touch with the average voter. Members of both major parties criticized Senator Vance for his attacks on the Minnesota leader after he accused the Governor of timing his retirement from the National Guard to avoid deploying to Iraq in 2005. At that point in his military career, Walz had served for over two decades, reaching the rank of command sergeant major. Senator Vance has since pivoted away from Walz’s military record, focusing, like his running mate, on immigration.
When face-to-face, the campaigns will need to develop a strategy that allows the candidates to show why their ticket is a better option without turning off voters by turning the debate into a stage for personal. Governor Walz is going into the debate with a slight advantage when it comes to his public favorability numbers.
When will the debate take place?
The debate is scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, at 9:00 p.m. ET. CBS and the campaigns have agreed to broadcast it from New York City.
Will I be able to stream the debate?
Yes. CBS will stream the event on its YouTube page, as will CSPAN, giving plenty of options to view. The network will also broadcast it, so you can watch it on your local CBS channel if you aren’t a cable cutter.
Who will moderate the debate?
Traditionally, the vice presidential debate focuses more on foreign policy, and the moderators selected by CBS reflect that those topics are likely to be discussed. Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan will moderate the event. O’Donnell currently anchors CBS Evening News and is a managing editor, while Brennan moderates Face the Nation and works as a foreign affairs correspondent for the network.